Vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs), have inward tailgate footprints that are underutilized and rear cargo areas that lack convenient and stowable shelving and storage. Typically, tailgates are just used for accessing the rear cargo area. There have been known attempts to attach components to the inward surface of the tailgate, but they are not multi-functional parts. Known shelves bracketed to the tailgate are also heavy (generally made of metal), and/or are not easily and quickly deployed, or do not provide a continuous, flat working surface. Known storage components attached to the tailgate are also heavy or do not stow when not in use. Such parts are generally bulky and take up more space. Metal shelving is known to be prone to rattling. Metal also adds to the weight of the vehicle, which is an ever increasing concern in the automotive industry where mileage efficiency is an issue. The shelves and storage are also known to be more open to elements, such as dust and dirt, even when not in use, since they do not provide a closed environment when not in use. All known shelving parts and storage parts lack in an option for multi-functionality, or do not have an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) factory appearance, or are not easily deployed, or are heavy.
There are a few other known ways to store items in the rear section of an SUV, e.g., rear cargo area, such as bulk containers and bags, which are not fastened in place to prevent sliding around or take up space when not in use and are not easily stowed, and nets, e.g., unstructured nets, fixed or attachable in the storage area, which have limited volume for storage and allows other items to get caught on or become entangled when loading items into the storage area or from items moving during transit.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for deployable/stowable rear shelving that has easy access and improved appearance and functionality.